Call for Book Chapters: Design Thinking for Business Strategy

Call for Book Chapters: Design Thinking for Business Strategy

Advanced Series in Management

(Indexed in SCOPUS)

Emerald Publishing invites global case studies, practical frameworks, and original research contributions for an upcoming volume in the Advanced Series in Management titled "Design Thinking for Business Strategy: Perspectives, Practices and Future Opportunities."

About the Book

Rather than scoping Design Thinking (DT) merely as a toolset for creativity, this book positions it as a strategic capability embedded across business functions. It explores how empathy-driven methodologies, rapid experimentation, and systems thinking can enable organizations to navigate complexity, uncertainty, and digital transformation in a rapidly evolving global environment.

Table of Contents (Themes & Tracks)

Part 1: Foundations – Reframing Design Thinking (DT) for Business Strategy

• Fundamentals and evolution of DT core principles.

• Integrating DT with corporate and business strategy.

• DT vs. analytical decision-making models, systems thinking, and creative thinking.

Part 2: Design Thinking Across Core Business Functions

• Marketing, Branding & Customer Experience: Customer journeys, behavioral insights, emotional design, and omnichannel ecosystems.

• Product, Innovation & R&D: Human-centered product development, rapid experimentation, digital platform innovation, and design-led business models.

• Operations, Supply Chain & Process Design: Human-centered systems for operational excellence.

• Finance, Risk & Decision Systems: User-centric financial products, risk perception, behavioral finance, and design-led pricing or investment frameworks.

• HR, Leadership & Organizational Design: Employee experience (EX), leadership training, corporate culture shift, and creative systems.

• Information Technology, AI & Digital Transformation: Ethical technology design, UX, data management, and platform thinking.

• Entrepreneurship & New Venture Design: Opportunity recognition, lean startups, prototyping, market validation, and venture scaling.

Part 3: Design Thinking in Complex Business Contexts

• Cross-cultural collaboration and crisis management in global enterprises.

• Managing uncertainty and establishing strategic resilience.

• Sustainability, ESG, circular economy models, public policy, and social innovation.

Part 4: Embedding DT in Organizations: Challenges, Limitations & Future Directions

• Operationalizing DT into enterprise strategy, internal processes, and performance KPIs.

• Scaling methodologies across enterprises through leadership mindsets and decision architectures.

• Innovation metrics, measuring impact, organizational resistance, and cognitive barriers.

• Limitations, pitfalls, and the misuse of Design Thinking.

• Design Thinking vs. Artificial Intelligence: Complementary tools or systemic conflict.

• Future of work, executive learning, and design-led corporate strategy.

Submission Guidelines

• Nature of Submissions: High-quality qualitative (interviews, observations), quantitative (experimental, survey), mixed/multi-methods research, comprehensive theory development papers, and teaching case studies.

• Word Limit: 6,000 to 7,000 words (inclusive of references, tables, and figures).

• Formatting Requirements:

  • Font: Times New Roman, Size 12.

  • Line Spacing: 1.5.

  • Referencing Style: APA 7th Edition.

  • Structured Abstract: Maximum 250 words.

  • Layout: Table captions must be placed on top of the table; Figure names must be placed below the figure.

• AI Policy: The use of generative AI tools to create, draft, or write any part of a submission is strictly prohibited.

• Submission Fee: There is no submission fee.

Important Dates

Editorial Board

• Dr. Arushi Bathla – Jindal School of Liberal Arts and Humanities, O.P. Jindal Global University, Haryana, India.

• Prof. Ashish Gupta – Faculty of Management, South Asian University (SAU), New Delhi, India.

• Dr. Ginni Chawla – General Management & Strategy Area, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, India.

• Prof. Martin Johansson – Stockholm Business School, Stockholm University, Sweden.

Contact & Submission Links

• Submission Link: Submit via Google Form (https://bit.ly/4w9XTvT)

• Editorial Inquiries: designthinkingbook@gmail.com